Jordan Kobritz

Articles matching tag: NHL

One of the most ballyhooed – and important - events in the birth of a sport franchise is the public unveiling of a team’s name and logo. The adage, “you only get one opportunity to make a great first impression” applies. Unfortunately, the Las Vegas expansion franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) couldn’t have bungled that opportunity more if they had tried.
On November 22, Bill Foley, the owner of the team, unveiled the nickname and logo to a group of media, fans and dignitaries. To say the name “Golden Knights” received a lukewarm reception would be an understatement. Sin City’s first Major League team in any sport made no effort to identify with the locals. The name has absolutely no connection to Las Vegas. In addition, the name is hardly unique. The U.S. Army quickly expressed concern based on their use of the name for their Parachute Team.

For the first time since 1970, the National Hockey League playoffs began without a single Canadian team in the chase for Lord Stanley’s Cup. The last of seven NHL teams north of the border was eliminated with 11 days left in the season.
Like their neighbors to the south, Canadians disagree on religion. Canada’s number one religion is Catholicism with 39% of the population identifying themselves as Roman Catholics. The next largest group is non-believers, at almost a quarter of the population according to the National Household Survey conducted in 2013. But one thing all Canadians can agree on is hockey. It’s the country’s national sport and in some circles, even more important than religion.